COVENTRY people are being asked to vote next month on pointless proposals for an elected mayor, a hard-hitting Warwick University report suggests.

The long-awaited Warwick Commission on Elected Mayors report slates the government’s offer to voters in May 3’s referendum, on whether people want to replace the existing councillors system with one person to lead the council.

The commissioners criticise the government – which is forcing referendums in ten cities – for not specifying to voters what extra powers might be handed down to elected mayors from Westminster.

Their strongest attack appears to be on the government’s decision to restrict elected mayors to city boundaries.

Many pro-mayor campaigners including Labour peer Lord Adonis wanted regionwide so-called “city-region” or “metro mayors” to operate beyond the confines of a city.

The commissions states: “There is no point in electing a mayor whose remit does not cover the necessarily boundary-spanning regions that could foster economic growth – the so-called metro-mayor.

"Government should return to considering extending to city region/metro mayors where this is appropriate for local areas at the earliest opportunity.”

Conservative Minister for Cities Greg Clark has stated metro-mayors could not be offered as it would take years of legislation, and potentially creating new regional authorities, which could face local opposition.

Kevin Johnson, of RJF Public Affairs, the commission’s secretariat, conceded the strong wording suggests the whole plan is “pointless”.

He added a mayor’s “informal” influence (or “soft-power”) could still extend beyond city boundaries, for instance with the mayor playing a part in Coventry and Warwickshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership between councils and business – just as council leaders already do.

But there is no hiding the damning verdict on minister’s plans.

If there is a ‘Yes’ vote in the £130,000 referendum in May, any elected mayor selected by voters on November 15 would be limited to the city’s footprint.

We first revealed the report was likely to criticise the government for leaving voters in the dark about “powers” for mayors after our interview with commission chairman Professor Wyn Grant.

The report considers performance of mayors internationally, and their problems in making any significant difference in others places in England.

Research director Professor Keith Grint said mayors “offer the possibility” of being more visible and accountable to voters to give leadership, although not all cities lacked it.

He added: “The absence of powers undermines the point of the local engagement and the mayoral alternative is perceived by some to be aimed at addressing this very issue.”